Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-10-28
ABOUT THE HARVEST.
EXPLANATORY NOTES BY REV. GEO.
p. HAYES, D. D., L.. Q.

Text, Matt. X, g.
VS.. 3j-3S. Mission wori-When Christ's
people go from house to house and from vii
lage reading the Bible and teaching the
truth, they are only following their Master'q
own example
Verse SO says that mankind then were not
different from the present time. Amid all
the various philosophical and ceremonial
schools OK religious worship then proposed,
many became discouraged and many turned
away without saving faith. t. we have been
born into the likeness of the Saviour spirit
we too shall feel the same compassion which
he felt.
Workmen ncedod-The figure used by
Christ in the thrty-sixth verse is changed to
one equally vivid in verses 81 and 81. W.
now look upon a field ripening for the har-
vest. If we now get discouraged because the
more mission work is done the more there
seems to he to do, we must remember that it
was just so with the Saviour
That under such circumstances he should
urge his church to prayer is simply falling in
with the ordinary religious experience.
It hardly lies consistently in the lips e
those vino will not contribute to the support
of these laborcrs to offer this prayer thai
laborers should be sent forth. The truth O.!
modern times is that there are far NOR
young men and women anxious to 90 forih
than the church is willing to furnish tGe
means to send. AS | write this, there lies be
fore me an appeal from student Of theology,
saying that thirty men will 20 to the foreign
field If the church will open the way.
V. /. Disciples made apostcs-Tlc word
disciple means "leamer," and the word
apostle mean, zone sent Christ had hitherto
had many Disciples Out of these in accord
ance with the petition of the preceding chap
ter, he was now to select certain ones who
should be sent FORTH or "cast OUT into the
vineyard as his representatives to do his work.
VS.. p. Catalogues of the aposties-1her.
are four lists of the twelve apostles-Matthew
X, Mark ill., Luke xvi and Acts i. In eacL
case the same four apostles are first named,
with Peter first in this list The same four
in all the lists form the second group, and
Philip is always first in this second four.
Four others constitute the last group with
James uniformly the first of this four, ana
Judas Iscariot last of all 1t must be clear,
therefore, that whatever Importance attaches
to Peters place, a like relative importance
must attach to both Phiipand James. Judas
is always last and is omitted in the list
given in the Acts because at that time he was
dead
| OF some of these disciples we have very full
accounts given. Interesting biographies can
be written of Peter and James and John. OF
others, however, almost nothing at all is
known as to their work These unknown
apostles may have been thoroughly faithful
in the obscure lot to which they We're called
John and Peter had very serious faults to
answer for.
vs.. ), g. Missions to the Jews-In Luke
xiv, A. and in Acts l. & the church, after
the resurrection was instructed to begin at
Jerusalem, Here the same order Is given III
the form OF go rather to the lost sheep OF
the house OF Israel.
v I. The apostolic meSsage-The mes
sage which these apostles were to utter ana
the manner of utterlnS it are both given.
The kingdom OF heaven in all the beneticence
OF its salvation and all the certainty of its
Judgment, was TO be announced as close at
hand, and therefore demanding immediate
and earnest attention. THIS was to be accom-
panied by all forms OF temporal blessing.
Inc proclamation OF the gospel ana the reIiel
OF the body were to 60 hand III hand.
VS. Freely glVe-Ihe last clause Of tins
lesson Is 10 he interpreted IN connection win
verse ~ OF the same chapter Inc real point
III the freely give Is an e''n"r'a'l'h TO mn
listers ana people TO spread tie goSnei every
Where' we are ourselves the ueae. "1ahls OF
thoSe converted from heathenlsn ihrough
missionaries sent OUT by the early en- 'a we
are as much bound TO support the go'l'' Nheh
1t Is part OF our spiritual growth as we ore
bound to pay Tor our own houses ana o'l y
bread. we are as much bound TO II" ID To
others as to send food to the sta INC ann
shelter TO the shelterlesS
SUGGESTIVE APPLICATIONS.
V SC. He was moved with conn SION
The mission of Christ on earth was p. mpted
by tender, loving pity for the lost. With a
similar love and tenderness we may now be-
lieve that he now looks abroad upon the null
titudeS in our land and in other lands who
are wanderers from God and Who have no
spiritual shepherd To his disciples now he
would saw. The harvest is plent-ous. but
the laborerS are few" If the harvest was
great then. it is even greater now There
are more children outside Of the Sunday